Classroom+Design

=Geo Elementary School!= =Revised Edition=

Here is a link to a video of kids playing the first iteration of our game ... KIDS PLAY OUR GAME!

**[|Evaluation Rubric]**
Put some graphical representation of the game here.





Instructional Objective
Learners will be able to recognize and identify basic geometric shapes and perform basic geometric calculations. Playing the game will allow learners to practice solving equations and to review basic geometric terms and concepts. Learners will define terms, solve problems and identify concepts.

**Grades 3–5 Expectations: (NCTE)**
In grades 3–5 all students should– California Curriculum Framework: 5th Grade Measurement and Geometry
 * identify, compare, and analyze attributes of two- and three-dimensional shapes and develop vocabulary to describe the attributes;
 * classify two- and three-dimensional shapes according to their properties and develop definitions of classes of shapes such as triangles and pyramids;
 * investigate, describe, and reason about the results of subdividing, combining, and transforming shapes;
 * explore congruence and similarity;
 * make and test conjectures about geometric properties and relationships and develop logical arguments to justify conclusions.

**1.0 Students understand and compute the volumes and areas of simple objects:**

 * 1.1 Derive and use the formula for the area of a triangle and of a parallelogram by comparing it with the formula for the area of a rectangle (i.e., two of the same triangles make a parallelogram with twice the area; a parallelogram is compared with a rectangle of the same area by cutting and pasting a right triangle on the parallelogram).
 * 1.2 Construct a cube and rectangular box from two-dimensional patterns and use these patterns to compute the surface area for these objects.
 * 1.3 Understand the concept of volume and use the appropriate units in common measuring systems (i.e., cubic centimeter [cm 3], cubic meter [m3], cubic inch [in 3], cubic yard [yd3]) to compute the volume of rectangular solids.
 * 1.4 Differentiate between, and use appropriate units of measures for, two- and three-dimensional objects (i.e., find the perimeter, area, volume).

**2.0 Students identify, describe, and classify the properties of, and the relationships between, plane and solid geometric figures:**

 * 2.1 Measure, identify, and draw angles, perpendicular and parallel lines, rectangles, and triangles by using appropriate tools (e.g., straightedge, ruler, compass, protractor, drawing software).
 * 2.2 Know that the sum of the angles of any triangle is 180° and the sum of the angles of any quadrilateral is 360° and use this information to solve problems.
 * 2.3 Visualize and draw two-dimensional views of three-dimensional objects made from rectangular solids.

//What will the learners learn from this game (or more likely, what learning objectives are being reinforced by this game)?If it's for school use, where does it fit into the curriculum? (You can find links to curricular frameworks [|here] ).// The learners will learn shape concepts, recognize and/or create geometry patterns, recognize the relationships between shapes, solve geometric equations, and recognize geometric shapes in the world around them.

Learners & Context of Use
Who is the game designed for? Describe them in terms of their age, grade level, affinity towards the subject matter, and anything special about them that the reader should know. Where would the game be used? If in a school, what accommodations would you need to make to do it in a typical classroom? Is it designed to be played more than once? What would happen prior to the game? What would happen after it?

The game questions are designed for 5th grade elementary students. The game can be used to review geometry lessons, and the teacher can filter the question cards based on the students' skill levels. Students who have an affinity for math or want to practice their skills can play for fun and review. The game is designed to be played with two groups of three players, but the classroom teacher can modify it for whole-class play by projecting questions on an overhead device and dividing the class into groups. For a classroom setting, the players would need a supply of scratch paper, pencils, and a timer.

To set-up the game, players would place the question cards face down in a pile. Each player would select a game board which represents one room found in a school environment.

A small pile of colored tiles would be in the center of the play area. When Players answer a questions correctly, they receive a color tile representing that color question. After the game, cards would be restacked in the original container, with the playing boards stacked and tiles placed in plastic bag.

A table would not be necessary as the players could set their game boards on a floor or any surface. They would need a solid surface to write their calculations on-table, floor, whiteboard, clipboard. Each game would play out differently as the boards and the questions drawn change with each game.

Competing Products
What's out there that covers the same content as this game? How is your game similar to others? How is it different and better? (You can check the [|Board Game Geek] search engine and the [|Educational Learning Games catalog] for school-oriented titles.

There are many geometry games suited to classroom use. Geometry Pirates is similar to our geometry game in that it requires shape recognition and collecting shapes to win. It is different in that it is geared toward younger kids and limited to basic shape recognition.

Many of the games, like Blokus, are more patterning games or puzzles like Pentimino Puzzle. Blokus players plan ways of creating patterns and filling the playing area with shapes. Pentimino Puzzle uses 3D shapes to create and identify geometric shapes and relationships.

Angleside School Adventure is a colorful and inviting game of measuring angles. It even includes a built-in compass. It focuses on just the angle aspect of geometry. The board's appearance makes me want to learn to play it.

Unlike most of the geometry games we've reviewed, our game involves turn-taking, problem solving, and strategy in placing tiles and gaining points.

**Object of the Game**
What's the game goal? What's the end state that players are striving for (e.g., to be the first to reach the Finish square, or to be the first to reach 100 points.) The goal of the game is for the player to win points by identify basic geometric shapes and solving elementary geometric functions in order to win shapes of point values. The person with the most points on his/her game board wins.

Content Analysis
or answering questions. || Game set-up || identification of shapes to solving complex equations. || Variety of cards: Geometric shapes are evident in the world around us. Identify shapes in surrounding classroom. || * School/classroom environment
 * ~ Content Type ||~ Content Elements ||~ Game Elements ||
 * ===**Facts**=== || * Geometry vocabulary
 * Facts
 * Formulas. || * Game boards
 * parts
 * tokens/shapes ||
 * ===**Concepts**=== || * Geometry is all around us.
 * Shapes are composed of basic parts.
 * Small shapes combine to form larger.
 * Area
 * Perimeter
 * Properties of lines
 * Types of angles || * Concept of board game
 * Win or lose
 * Take turns. ||
 * ===**Principles**=== || * Geometric principles
 * Relationship of parts to whole
 * Relationship of angles to shapes
 * Relationship of lines to angles
 * Perpendicular
 * Parallel || * Taking turns
 * Adhering to rules. ||
 * ===**Procedures**=== || Steps for solving the equation questions. || Method of moving through game:
 * draw
 * solve
 * place shape on board
 * acquire and add up points
 * determine winner. ||
 * ===**Processes**=== || Thought process for solving equations
 * ===**Probabilities**=== || Different levels of questions: from basic
 * questions
 * solve equations
 * identification
 * consequence cards
 * bonus cards. ||
 * ===**Context**=== || 5th grade geometry
 * common furniture/accessory
 * shapes and placement. ||
 * ===**Vantage Points**=== || * 5th grade student
 * Elementary student
 * Math enthusiast
 * Participant in math decathalon (practice) || * Player
 * time keeper
 * question checker ||

Game Materials
List each of the physical objects one would find in the box. For example, the board, each type of card, each type of prize or token, etc.) After listing the materials, describe each in as much detail as needed. Include illustrations of the board and each type of card.


 * The game contains:**
 * individual playing boards
 * hour glass timer
 * a deck of question cards
 * blank paper
 * pencils
 * colored chips
 * Individual boards for each player.
 * Each board represents a room in a school environment.
 * Objective:**
 * 1) The goal is to earn the highest number of chips/points in the right combination before time runs out.
 * 2) The game contains a deck of cards which contains questions and answers, and chance/consequence cards.
 * 3) Each player receives a room card color coded for question point value and difficulty
 * 4) Players earn a chip by answering or solving a geometry question.
 * 5) Each board has a color-coded, illustrated grid.
 * 6) Each square on the grid has an illustration of something you might find in that classroom.
 * 7) Each square is in a column labeled and color coded for point value and difficulty


 * Contents**
 * 1) Question cards deck will also contain Extra Credit and Detention cards (or some setback cards-progress report, morning announcements, Open House, fire drill) that give player bonus points or questions, as well as obstacles.
 * 2) One type of card would be a Hall Pass (wild card) and open up a question to everyone playing. Some would be instant answer (like name the shape pictured on this card, or what does the formula 1/2 b(h) solve for?)
 * 3) If a team completes the challenge card they win extra points, if they get it wrong they must give the points to their opponents.


 * Process/Movement**
 * simultaneous play
 * draw cards
 * read questions
 * solve problem or receive consequence or bonus
 * Fill classroom board with chips
 * Highest points/first fill wins
 * Have an option of drawing from challenge cards in an attempt to recoup lost points...mind-blowing questions
 * Topics**
 * surface area
 * volume
 * area of rectangle, triangle, parallelogram
 * angles- acute, obtuse, straight, complementary, supplementary
 * lines, perpendicular, parallel,
 * edges, vertices
 * 3-d shapes: prisms, pyramid, cylinder, cone, sphere

Time Required
How long would the game take to set up? How long to play? Would one carry a game over several play periods?
 * Time limit/point goals:**

The Rules
List the rules as you would provide them to the players. Use a numbered list and keep the rules short, simple, and unambiguous. If there are multiple forms of the game for different objectives or different levels of challenge, separate the rules accordingly rather than merging them into one set. Rules: Version 2 ** To win the game: Additional materials you may need : The game requires at least two players (you may have teams of up to 3), a referee/timekeeper Before you begin: Shuffle the deck of question and chance cards and put them in the middle of your playing surface Rules:
 * Classroom Geometry SmackDown!
 * Game time limit: 30 minutes (or whatever the teacher chooses)
 * Solve at least 10 problems that must include: 4 easy, 3 medium, 2 hard and 1 mind-blowing
 * Have more points than the other teams
 * Scratch paper
 * Pencil
 * Eraser
 * Stopwatch/Timer
 * The referee holds the answer sheet, the chips and the timer
 * CHANCE cards … if a team draws a chance card follow the instructions on that card
 * 1) Each team selects a classroom board and a formula (cheat) sheet
 * 2) Each team draws a question card from the deck
 * 3) When the cards are drawn, the timekeeper starts the timer
 * 4) Each team has 3 minutes to solve the problem on their card. When you get an answer, show it to the referee who will tell you if you are right or wrong. If you finish a problem correctly and time has not run out, you can draw another problem card and try to solve it during that round.
 * 5) If you do not want to solve the problem you have drawn, you may draw another card, but the timer is still going (return the discarded problem card by cutting it into to the deck, the referee re-shuffles at the end of the round )
 * 6) When you complete your problem, show the answer to the referee. If your answer is right, the referee gives you a chip that matches the color of the problem card. If your answer is not right, try again until 3 minutes are up (if you have teams, each team member may work on the problem individually or you may want to reason it out together)
 * 7) When the time is up, teams with the correct answer to their problem earn a chip for the classroom board. Each problem card has a point value printed at the bottom. Place the chip you have earned in the column for that point value
 * 8) Teams who do not get the correct answer to their problem do not earn a chip
 * 9) Teams keep the question cards that they answer correctly. Problem cards missed or rejected and CHANCE cards get shuffled into the deck at the end of the round.
 * 10) Now a new round begins.

Motivational Issues
Describe how the game engages the learner. How does it make use of curiosity, challenge, control, fantasy, competition, cooperation, etc.? (No one game will do all of these things, so focus on the particular strengths of this particular game.) Make specific reference to the theoretical readings associated with this course.

Design Process
Describe the process you went through in putting the game together. What were your first thoughts? How did you enhance your ideas? What ideas did you consider and reject (and why?). How did you gather background information? What did you do to see if there are similar games out there? What did you do to get feedback on the idea? How did you flesh out the game to the point of having a playable prototype? How did you gather feedback from that? What lessons did you learn from this that you'll carry to your next game design project?

Initially, the original game idea was a more cooperative, design-oriented game. The reality of creating a game that did not have a winner, that had very few rules or limits was too unstructured for our purpose. At first we thought about the pieces representing the actual geometric shapes of furniture; however, trying to relate the shapes to the board as well as the types of pieces available in Game Crafters changed our direction. The game evolved into single-player boards, question and consequence cards, and tokens or place holders. We needed to make the game more competitive with challenges and an obvious winner. This led to four different levels of difficulty cards and a wide range of chance or consequence cards. We added a time limit to both the questions and the overall game play time.

We deliberated about the best method for presenting or discovering the correct answers to the questions. If the answers appeared on the front card, then the card drawer could see it; if on the back, the others would see the answer which would rule-out the ability to steal if the first player answered incorrectly. We decided to include a player who acted as a referee (guidance counselor?) who would keep track of turns, questions, answers, tokens and timer.

At first we were going to have one player or team answer a question while the other players waited or solved it on their own hoping for a chance at the points. Logistically, this was difficult as far as who held the card with the question, how could everyone see it, etc. We decided that each team/player would draw his own separate question card and each would have a time limit to solve the question. The referee player would call time and hand out any winning tokens.

Searching the web for geometry games brought up many games that were basically patterning or puzzles. We did not see a game that included solving geometry formulas in a competitive arena.

Some content and expert opinion came from a 5th grade math teacher, random 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students .Dana was the first to play test the game with a group of her 6th graders. She video taped the process and captured the students' enthusiasm during play.